Headless
by reka1207
Summary: Season 2, pre-Sleepers. The team are in search of ledgendary abnormals that Helen and an abnormal tracker attempted to capture twenty-one years ago. Helen/Nikola. Based lightly on Rick Yancey's The Monstrumologist. Read, review, enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the wonderful series that is called Sanctuary. A Rent-a-Tesla would be good enough for me. :)

**Author's note:** First published Sanctuary fanfiction. Takes place during season two before 'Sleepers', because a vampire-Tesla is just too awesome. This idea (no need to read it if you haven't) is based lightly off Rick Yancey's novel _The Monstrumologist. _If only for the Anthropophagi, but a ghost story-turned abnormal-hunt was just too good to pass up! Hee-hee.

**Spoiler** for anyone who hasn't read the _Monstrumologist: _Doctor Kearns is suspected to be Jack the Ripper. That doesn't have any part in this version, since I can totally see Druitt doing that, and I won't bore you any longer with my rants, so enjoy! Reviews are always appreciated!

* * *

It was a normal day at Old City Sanctuary, if Will's line of work could ever be called 'normal'. Suffice to say, no abnormal had escaped (yet), the electricity hadn't shorted out, Magnus was researching a potential sighting of goat-eating abnormals, and Will was filing reports.

His eyes scanned Magnus's precise handwriting, letting the words meld together to make one giant word. It was a report on the UK Sanctuary attack. His heart sped up as he read through Clara's death.

Not wanting to learn the names of whoever else had died that day, he quickly moved to the finance section. Yes, denying Clara's death was _exactly _what he was doing, but he now understood why everyone did it.

Detailed was the cost of transporting the elemental, damages done by the Cabal, wine, and the air travel tickets.

A small inequality in the budget drew his attention. It was just a fraction of the expense, nothing anyone would normally notice, but it had gotten his attention.

Curious, Will opened the filing cabinet and retrieved reports from the previous two weeks. Similar small amounts had been taken…somewhere. Will tried to calculate the number of missions he'd been on. If a fraction of the money had been taken, added to the number of mission expenses from the past 150 or so years – if this scam had been running that long.

Will pulled out his phone and said the infamous words.

"Magnus, we have a problem."

* * *

Helen Magnus's phone vibrated noisily on her desk, jolting her out of a half-sleep. She rubbed her eyes and glanced at the caller ID for a second before answering.

"Will?"

"Magnus? I was reading through the finance report on the UK Sanctuary attack. There was a fractional shortage on cash used to pay for the damages done to the security programs. Someone's been pilfering money from the Sanctuary reserves."

Her mind began working furiously, calculating who would have the intelligence (or motive) to get past Henry's firewalls. Nikola was a possibility, but he wouldn't have been able to resist letting her know something was up. The Cabal were too well-financed to be stealing such little amounts of money.

"How long has this been going on?"

Papers were heard shuffling on the other end of the line.

"Since '89. That's as far back as this room takes me. Umm, oldest report in here is about you and a guy named Radovan going to retrieve a pack of abnormals-"

Helen cursed under her breath. She knew who had done this.

"Will, call Henry and tell him to freeze all our accounts. I'll be right down."

Then the doorbell rang.

* * *

Big Guy opened the door, wondering who it was _this _time. In the past two months, everyone from Jack the Ripper to the Cabal had shown up on Old City Sanctuary's doorstep.

What he didn't expect to see was someone who looked _normal._ His powerful sense of smell detected shampoo on the visitor._ Strong_ shampoo. And cologne. The visitor was trying to cover up something. A deeper, subtle breath revealed what it was.

"Radovan Mihailo." He stuck out his strong-smelling hand. "I have something of utmost importance to tell Doctor Magnus."

"Will, I know exactly who did this! There is simply no mystery to it, but _why _is a much better question."

Will pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Then who did it?"

Big Guy knocked, and after waiting for a split second, entered, a tall, dark haired man following suit.

Helen wheeled around. If her eyes could, Will knew their visitor would have two holes burned through his body.

"He did."

To be continued…review if you wish! Suggestions/feedback is always appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **A huge thank-you to everyone who reviewed! You are all awesome.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Sanctuary, save for the futile character I have placed in here. And the anthropophagi, I guess. Or this version of 'em.

* * *

"Radovan Mihailo." Magnus's tone was steely. "Care to explain why you've been hijacking the Sanctuary's funds or should I just knock you out right now?"

Radovan's eyes met Magnus's. Will let his eyes scan the other man, waiting for something to pop up. The strong smell of shampoo permeated through the room.

Dark clothes, light blond hair, smudge of red on one finger. Index finger. Probably touched something bloody. At this stage in his work, Will didn't even consider Sharpie or paint.

"I am sorry, Doctor. But the dhampires were dying without money for their cattle. And other problems…" His voice carried an accent Will couldn't place.

"Then you should have told me Radovan, not waited twenty years to find out for myself!" Magnus exclaimed.

"They did not want anyone to know. They are secretive, and telling you would have broken the little trust they have in me."

Magnus sighed. "Will, meet Radovan. He tracks abnormals and manages the dhampir safe houses in Serbia."

"_Dhampires?_"

"A race of abnormals that resemble what most would consider a vampire. Fast strong, afraid of sunlight and garlic. They were the carriers of many diseases that people assume associate with vampirism."

Great. "More vampires."

"But as far as I know, they haven't left Europe. So why are you here Radovan?"

"I am here because I came to apologize, and because I have received new information on the anthropophagi."

"The abnormals you tried to capture in '89." Will said under his breath.

Magnus nodded.

"The same. We ran into some difficulties with personnel but managed to contain them in underground cells."

"What makes them so dangerous?" Might as well get it into the open.

"Anthropophagi are strong and fast. Churches considered using them to hunt vampires, but deemed them even more unholy than the vampires themselves. They feed entirely on humans, and if necessary, eat their own young. You can see the slight problems keeping a pack here would entail."

"Oh. And let me guess." Will said, glancing at Radovan. "They've escaped, are escaping or will escape very soon?"

"He is very smart," Radovan interjected. "A good protégé. But no, the anthropophagi are not in danger of escape _yet_. They are in danger of destroying themselves. The females are breeding too quickly, and if we don't move some of the pack into different tunnels they will turn on each other and…"

"They'll eat each other." Will finished.

"Yes. And then the last of their species will be wiped out." Magnus finished. "The anthropophagi are immune to many diseases that plague the human body despite nearly exact physiology."

"Then we have no choice."

"No. We don't."

* * *

"It might be just my imagination," Will said. "But isn't this a little odd?"

"How observant." Kate muttered from behind her newspaper. "Is that _really _why Magnus hired you?"

Will ignored the remark and continued observing the passerby. Nearly everyone rushed past (not uncommon in Boston) but the black clothes, sunglasses, and distinctive smell of Mace in the air gave the entire place an Armageddon-type feel.

To Will, it simply felt like _something _was wrong.

"Anything in the news Kate?"

"Huh. Robberies are up 20% this week. That could have something to do with it." Kate flicked the pages back and forth.

"Probably. In dark alleys. But this is the middle of the _day_. It's like…" Will looked at the umbrellas and long-sleeved clothes. "They're afraid of the light."

"Well, the guy _does _have something to do with vampires."

"Vampires don't-"

Magnus walked over, casting glances at the seemingly gothic crowd.

"The motel has confirmed our reservations. I think we should get going. Radovan will take us to the Anthropophagi's warrens after we drop off our luggage. Kate, would you mind catching a taxi to get there ahead of time? Radovan will be there, and I don't trust him not to double cross us when we arrive"

The ex-mercenary nodded and hailed a cab, patting her belt to double check the gun's presence. Will and Magnus began walking down the sun-soaked streets.

"Magnus, you pay me for my ridiculous theories."

"Of course."

"I don't trust Radovan. Seriously, showing up from Serbia _just _after we find out he's been stealing, wanting help with abnormals. Doesn't this sound like someone we know?"

"Who?"

"Tesla."

"Will, I have known Radovan for his whole life. He is _not _Tesla. And vampires can't stand dhampires."

"I guess you would. But why would a guy who's protecting dhampires also be trying to take care of the very abnormals that can kill them?"

"Because the dhampires are dying off due to inbreeding of centuries. Unlike the vampires, dhampires were never a 'ruling class'. The majority of dhampires cannot mate with humans, and those who could were killed long ago."

"So there aren't any part-dhampires around."

"No. even discovering a part vampire is rare enough."

"Good." Finding another Tesla probably wouldn't happen.

"I believe we are here." Magnus gestured to a nondescript motel, with 'Vacancy' scribbled on a billboard.

Two shots were fired, and they started running.

* * *

The first thing Will saw was Kate, lying prone on the ground, blood pooling from a wound on her hand.

The next thing he saw was a _monster._

Since his first days at the sanctuary, Will had tried to adopt Magnus's classification of 'abnormal' instead of 'monster'. But this might have crossed the boundary.

It lacked a head. Its skin was deathly white and wrinkled, blood trailing from two bullet holes in its chest. Two eyes (they couldn't be anything _but _eyes) stared out at him black as a shark's. A huge mouth, about the size of a human head, gaped open, revealing rows of jagged teeth. Its arms were long, had the thing been standing upright, its knuckles would be only a few inches from the ground. At the end of each finger were four-inch long nails, black and razor sharp.

Magnus swore and knelt beside Kate, taking her pulse.

Will heard someone step behind him. He wheeled around, gun leveled at the intruder.

"Don't you love Boston?"A deep voice. Unnaturally layered.

Helen Magnus looked up to see Nikola Tesla smirking at her.

To be continued. Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **No. Still no.

Notes: Nikola! *squees*. Is that even a word?

Either way, I'm trying my best to fit Kate in this (she's awesome) but she's never met Nikola or had anything to do with vampires. So they can't 'meet' until Sleepers, but both will be in this fic, I promise! Another odd parallel between _The Monstrumologist _and Sanctuary: Will James Henry is the protagonist of the book, and Will and Henry and James are protagonists of the show. Hmmm…

* * *

"Nikola? What are you doing here?"

"Saving your employee's life, since she was too stupid to know where to hit." Tesla gestured to four now-distinctive puncture wounds between the eyes. "Hired help these days is so hard to come by."

"Will take Kate to the room. Lock the door-"

"Do you really think a locked door will stop me if I was after her?"

Magnus glared a glare she seemed to reserve only for Nikola.

"It's not you I'm worried about. Go Will." She said when she saw the hesitation in the younger man's eyes.

Will departed, taking a semi-conscious Kate with him.

"Nikola, I don't know if I want to bother asking."

"Well, Johnnie and I just took down a Cabal cell in New York. Funded by some two-bit abnormal lawyer who considered himself a 'vampire' if you can believe it."

"Where_ is_ John?"

Nikola looked rather uneasy.

"Nikola..."

"He's perfectly fine. He's in New York, talking to a contact about another possible Cabal location."

"Out with it Nikola. Why are you here?"

He grinned in that incorrigible way of his and ambled up to her.

"Have I told you today that you look absolutely stunning?"

Helen fought to control a blush. He was trying to change the subject –

"Why – are – you – here – Nikola."

He sighed. "An old friend of mine informed me that a certain species of abnormal was about to break loose, and as you know, humans have a rather hard time killing anthropophagi."

"So you came here out of the goodness of your heart did you?"

"Helen, I'm offended," his hand touched hers ever so lightly. Her hand moved. "Well, a certain 1961-"

"Wine! Nikola, you are completely incorrigible!"

His smirk simply widened, revealing his white teeth.

"And I'd get to see you on your own terms, though I'd daresay saving your employee's life did help."

"Nikola…who told you to come here?"

"I love your interrogations. Would you like to take this to a private room? We're looking a bit conspicuous out here with a headless, naked, abnormal."

Helen figuratively slapped her hand to her forehead. Why did Nikola have this power to make her forget the more obvious things in life? Like an anthropophagi lying dead in front of them, in the middle of the day.

Helen sighed.

"I don't suppose vampires eat anthropophagi."

Nikola huffed.

"Helen, anthropophagi eat _vampires._"

"Well, then help me with this then, would you?"

He bent over the corpse, lifting up its legs, while she tackled the torso.

"Dumpster?"

"Dumpster. At least until Henry arrives with my medical equipment."

"Ah, the invaluable Tiny Tim." Nikola grunted as they heaved the body into the garbage. "What would you ever do without him?"

* * *

"Kate?"

Her eyelids felt heavy. Her hand hurt, yet Kate Freelander snapped into consciousness. She sat up straight, wincing as the bright light hit her eyes.

"Will, what happened?"

"You were attacked by an anthropophagi."

She remembered the headless creature, black eyes flashing, a nightmare in daytime.

"Oh."

Kate moved to sit up, wincing again as she looked down at her hand, wrapped in gauze and smelling strongly of disinfectant.

"Here." Will held out his hand, two tablets of aspirin in his palm.

"Thanks." Kate dry swallowed, trying to sort out the recent attack.

"How'd you guys get it?"

"Well, you'd shot it twice…"

Kate snorted. "Don't even try that. I shot it, and it didn't even flinch."

Will sighed. "Okay. You were saved by an alcoholic vampire friend of Magnus's."

Kate chuckled. "That's a little better. How do you kill these guys?"

"Honestly? I have no idea, but hitting them between the eyes works just fine."

"The brain then."

"Probably. Though from the way it was running around in broad daylight, I doubt it's too intelligent."

Kate grinned as the pain faded from her hand and head. She swung her legs to the floor.

"Come on Will. We've got some monsters to catch."

* * *

"How did you know where the anthropophagi were?" Helen hesitated outside of the motel room.

"Instinct, I suppose. I simply headed right where I didn't want to go."

"Vampires are naturally fearful of anthropophagi," Helen said knowledgeably, knowing what she said next would go to his head. "It was very courageous of you to defy your vampiric side."

He gave her his toothy grin, but stopped as he inhaled.

His eyes turned as black as an anthropophagi's. His skin whitened, and mouth grew fangs.

"Something is coming." He growled.

Helen readied her pistol. Another anthropophagi? Nikola had taken care of the first one, but if memory served, that one had been a juvenile. She had no idea how a part-vampire would stand up against a fully grown anthropophagi, much less an alpha male or female.

Nikola's breathing grew audible. It was slow, deliberate, much like what Helen imagined kissing him – really kissing him – would feel like.

_Focus! _"Can you tell what it is Nikola?"

"No. Not anthropophagi. Human and something else."

Radovan emerged, a sallow dark-haired girl in black following him closely. Nikola growled, and Helen fought the urge to slap him. He was getting completely worked up about nothing!

When the girl saw Nikola, she shied behind Radovan, who stared into Nikola's fathomless eyes.

"Leave her alone, vampire. She is not yours to kill."

Nikola growled again, remind Helen of the reanimated humans-turned-slaves. The clicking, unnatural sound completely disturbed her, though it wasn't the first time she'd heard it.

Pieces of conversations, the girl's appearance, staying in the shadow of Radovan…"Radovan, is that…?"

"Yes. Maria is a dhampir. I brought her here from Serbia because she wished to learn more of the modern world – away from her clan."

Helen eyed Nikola, afraid instinct would take over and he would attack the girl.

"Radovan, Maria, back up. Slowly." They obeyed, sensing their very existence depended on it.

She grasped the cuff of Nikola's sleeve. The motion caused him to turn, blinking in surprise. Helen nodded to Radovan and Maria, who turned and ran as fast as they could.

Less than ten seconds later, Nikola's face morphed into a human's. His claws retracted, nails losing their blackness and length.

"Never met a dhampir before." His tone was pensive.

"I would've thought you'd know all about them, seeing as you both came from Serbia."

"I haven't been home in a very long time."

Helen thought about her own home, London. How long ago had it been since she'd been to the UK not on Sanctuary business?

"So, are you planning to stick around?"

His blue eyes met hers.

"Of course. But I do expect wine." His eyes glinted. "And some entertainment."

She patted his arm.

"Incorrigible prat."

* * *

Despite agreeing to assist them, Nikola refused to sleep at the motel, preferring to bunk at…wherever he slept. If he slept. Will didn't know.

Radovan had appeared that evening carrying a bottle of wine and lacking Maria, who he had introduced to Kate and Will just before running into Magnus and Tesla.

Apparently, Maria was staying with a family who volunteered to host exchange students. Will appreciated meeting the dhampir girl, who didn't look more than eight, but was nearly three-hundred years old. Though fearful (expected after living for centuries in hiding, fearing most of the humans who crossed her path) Maria seemed to be one of the more normal individuals Will had met since joining the team.

Tesla was appreciating the wine, as he was the only one who was drinking. Magnus eyed the part-vampire warily as she discussed the plan for the next morning with Radovan and Will.

A sudden storm had thrown their plans to stake out the anthropophagi warrens into the trash. With the escaped juvenile's scent fresh in his mind, Magnus planned to use Tesla to locate the hole in the ground.

Will's mind wandered to Kate and Henry, who had been sent to investigate an unconnected abnormal sighting. He wasn't sure who Magnus wanted away from whom, but Tesla and Henry seemed to have a natural animosity of sorts toward each other. Kate probably wouldn't have believed Tesla was the guy who'd saved her.

"Once Nikola has located the hole, we can repair it, and hopefully seal off any other escapes."

"Hoping the anthropophagi haven't already escaped."

"If they had, the news would be covering violent attacks by headless men."

"True." Will said. "How often do they need to feed?"

"For a warren their size, perhaps twice a week."

Will had a horrible thought.

"Radovan. What were they feeding on – before they mysteriously escaped?"

The Serbian caretaker nodded.

"I understand your concern. Have you ever had varicose veins removed from your legs?"

"No."

"Well, many people do, and that, along with the organs of deceased volunteers, make up the anthropophagi diet."

"The volunteers, they're not-"

"Oh, they die of naturally. Age and cancer and accidents."

Will nodded, relieved.

"'Accidents?'" Tesla slurred. For a person whom alcohol didn't affect, he sure was acting drunk. It was probably a show for Magnus, judging by the way she rolled her eyes. "I seriously doubt too many people would be on your 'volunteerss' lisst."

"Rest assured, Mister Tesla that many people care for these creatures." Radovan switched to Serbian. Tesla rolled his eyes midway through a sentence.

"Like that'll ever happen. Helen, I feel the strangest need to get outside and-"

He collapsed on the floor.

Magnus jumped up in surprise.

"Nikola?"

She stood, probably thinking it was another one of his jokes.

"Nikola get up. You're not being funny."

Will poked Tesla with the toe of his shoe. The vampire didn't even twitch.

Radovan knelt and placed his fingers on Tesla's wrist.

"He's alive. Unconscious."

Will could nearly see the cogs working in Magnus's mind. Trying to figure out why he was behaving like this, what could knock out a vampire?

Magnus patted his coat until she found a wallet.

"He's staying at a hotel not far from here."

"Magnus, I don't think moving him is a great idea."

"I agree doctor. Whatever is wrong with him might be adverse to moving around too much."

Magnus nodded. She knew the feeling, Will knew.

"Well we can at least get him onto the couch."

Will and Radovan hoisted Tesla's body until it rested on the couch. The vampire's eyes were half open.

"I hope he sleeps it off." Magnus said, looking at Tesla. "Radovan, would you mind fetching Kate and Henry? If the abnormal hasn't shown itself, I doubt it will tonight."

Radovan nodded and left, car keys jangling.

Will and Magnus were left alone. Save for the unconscious Tesla.

"Do vampires sleep?"

"Not true ones, no. But Nikola can go for months without lying down, and he needs only to increase his medication to go even longer. It is very strange for him to just collapse like that, though I think it has more to do with meeting Maria than anything else."

"Wow. Pretty amazing. So he can spend all night building death rays?"

"Yes. In fact, that's exactly what he did." She looked at Will for a moment, then returned her gaze to Tesla.

Will picked up the half-drunken bottle of wine and sniffed. Smelled fine. Normal. And Tesla-the-wine-conniseur hadn't noticed anything funny about it.

"Magnus, I don't believe Radovan is telling us the entire truth. He said the dhampires were in Serbia, but we find one right here in Boston. He said the anthropophagi have not escaped, but we find one just as we arrive. What happened the last time?"

Helen Magnus sighed.

"The truth is Will, that we weren't prepared. Neither of us had seen a live anthropophagi before, we had inadequate supplies, weaponry, medicine, everything except matches. And that turned out to save us.

"The grown anthropophagi fear the light. We set fire to our alcoholic sterilizer and used it to keep them at bay. But our guide, Malachi, was killed when he strayed too far. This time will be different. We have the best technology, more people, supplies. Will, no one will die this time.

"I met Radovan's immigrant parents much like I met Nikola, at college. They told me to take care of their son, because he was the heir to the dhampir caretaking. I saw it through." Magnus grabbed the wine bottle and poured herself a glass. She drained it nearly as quickly as Tesla.

Will gently took the bottle and glass from her. Getting drunk seemed like a pretty good idea now.

Helen awoke with a throbbing headache and a parched throat. She staggered to the sink and drank as much water as she could handle, then washed her face.

With her vision slightly clearer, she went back into the main room. Will lay on the floor, still unconscious. Nikola was –

Nikola was gone.

* * *

To be continued. Did you get the more blatant than normal _Monstrumologist _name reference? As always, let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **Sanctuary is not mine, and will never be.

Also, Teslen-goodness in this chapter! Well, Teslen-angst. Same thing :)

* * *

For the first day, Magnus had been angry. Angry at Nikola for following his instincts and hightailing it out of here as fast as he could. He could have left a_ note_.

Radovan and Henry had investigated the hotel Nikola had stayed at, but he hadn't been by, and was overdue to check out.

Kate, Will, and Helen had searched the motel and surrounding areas, finally finding the anthropophagi escape hatch.

Sealing it took the better part of the day. By that night, Helen was too tired to care where the incorrigible vampire had gone.

Nikola's absence had led to Maria staying over that night. Once introduced again, she proceeded to drown herself in the television.

By the fourth day, Helen was quite depressed.

Most of the anthropophagi were in the warren. Ten weren't. None of the team wanted to go through the trouble of capturing them, and were coming up with a plan to lead the remaining truants back home.

That night, Helen and Will once again shared a bottle of wine.

Will had passed out an hour ago, only a few minutes after Radovan had come in. Maria, as usual, sat in front of the TV.

"Doctor, I feel I have not been completely honest with you."

"Spit it out then." She wasn't drunk enough yet to discuss personal things.

"I knew the anthropophagi had escaped, doctor. I knew it for several months."

Helen stared at the Serbian in horror as memories of their past surfaced rapidly.

"The donor list, as your vampire friend had said, is much too short. This way, they were fed. Then I realized they were breeding, and the tunnels needed to be expanded. So I contacted you, and you came.

"What I did not expect was a juvenile to be walking around here."

Helen cautiously reached for her gun. In a flash, she was looking down the barrel of Radovan's Sig Saur.

"When your friend killed him, I realized the anthropophagi couldn't be allowed to roam any longer."

"That's the most intelligent thing I've heard you say yet." Her voice was filled with ice.

Radovan continued, calm as could be. How could he act like this was so _normal_? The wine must be affecting her.

"But I had no idea how to lead them all back. Then I saw that your vampire friend was just that. A _vampire_."

Helen's eyes widened. "You didn't."

"Not yet. I've done a little more than steal dollars from you, doctor. I've hired people to bypass security measures in the past days, with your werewolf friend working to capture a nonexistent abnormal. I've researched your friend's 'medication'."

Her heart, for reasons she didn't entirely know why, began beating rapidly. She gasped for breath.

"Funny, the way pop culture has turned garlic into such an omen. Who knew, except you and your father, that garlic could repress the bloodlust of a vampire?"

"Why are you telling me this?"her voice was tight now, icy no longer.

"Because you are the only one who would risk yourself for a vampire. A vampire I drugged with Benzodiazepines and kept in the tunnels. You learn he went down there to kill every last anthropophagi, you follow. He attacks, you shoot. You shoot, he bleeds. And every last anthropophagi within two hundred miles will come to take a piece of vampire flesh." Radovan smiled, as if he had just discovered a way to save an entire species.

Garlic, Helen thought. I need garlic. Her eyes darted throughout the motel room. Garlic bread! They had eaten Italian last night – where had it gone?

She saw it. On the counter, beside the sink.

"Radovan. You don't want to do this. We can come up with a reasonable compromise."

"We must. My loyalty lies with the dhampires and the anthropophagi. You have aligned yourself with the race that enslaved humans. The anthropophagi are nearly extinct. The alpha female left days ago – without her, the race _will _go extinct!"

"And you've sentenced the last vampire to his death. I won't shoot Nikola."

"He will kill you." The gun rested downwards, just for an instant. Helen kicked out, disarming him. He cursed and clutched his hand. She grabbed the gun off the floor and made for the counter, scooping up the bread with one hand. She shoved it into her jacket just as the tranquilizer hit her shoulder.

* * *

"Where _is _he?"

"I don't know, sir. He was here just a little while ago!"

Helen found consciousness painful. A headache (probably the effects of tranquilizers and wine) pounded her temples. She opened her eyes, and saw a dirt ceiling. To her left Radovan and a shorter man were arguing.

"Can't we just leave her here?"

"I suppose."

Helen found she couldn't move. Her eyelids fluttered uselessly. Sleep. She needed sleep.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but Radovan and his cohort had gone.

Her heart began to pound. She was in the middle of an anthropophagi warren. A _starving _anthropophagi warren. Nikola was probably dead. Probably had been for a few days now…

Tears sprang unbidden to her eyes; they rolled down her cheeks against her will. Why couldn't he have listened to himself? Why did he drink the stupid wine?

Something dripped down her forehead. Blood. Warm, sticky, blood. Had she banged her head?

The air seemed to tense around her. She felt a drop of blood leave her face and hit the floor.

A footstep.

And then a low, guttural voice.

"Helen, why did you come down here?"

Oh _no._

Nikola's medication. If he had been down here for this long, with no garlic, she was bleeding, unable to move. She looked into his black eyes. He had stuck his claws into the wall in an attempt to restrain himself, but he was starving.

Nikola needed blood.

Helen Magnus bled, and was going to die.

* * *

Sorry for the newest cliffhanger, potential reviewers! But review, and I will continue faster!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own this awesometastic series.

Notes: None. But the rest of the team is getting involved now…

* * *

Helen had a gun. It pressed against her waist. She was _not _going to use it.

"Nikola, just wait. In a few hours-"

In a flash, he was on top of her. His shoulder bumped her chin; she let out a cry of pain that seemed muffled in the tunnel. Nikola's eyes flicked to her bleeding head.

"Helen," he choked out. "I think I want to kill you."

He leaned in, their foreheads touching ever so lightly. She could smell his breath. Even after so long, he still smelled like wine. Helen could hear his ragged breathing.

"Nikola," she mumbled helplessly. "Do you remember Oxford?"

He growled and looked into her eyes. Encouraged, she continued,

"It was about three weeks after we'd injected ourselves. I told you that if the time came, you had to do what you had to in order to allow your race to survive."

Nikola growled again. The sound filled her ears. There was no sound but that one.

"Do what you have to."

His warm mouth pressed to the gash on her forehead. She flinched as his tongue ran over the laceration. Helen tensed when he did.

Nikola spat the blood out and rolled off her. She managed to sit up.

"Nikola?"

He grinned. "Source blood doesn't taste that great."

Helen wanted to either laugh or cry.

"Still hungry?"

"Horribly." His eyes gleamed.

* * *

Will awoke with a pounding headache and another missing person.

Two hours later, he had managed to find Henry and Kate and explain the situation.

"Magnus is gone?"

Will nodded.

Kate gestured with her head to Radovan's van.

"I'm willing to bet the dhampir-man took her."

"Radovan? Why?"

Henry handed him his tablet.

"According to Radovan, the abnormal we've been looking for has been sighted all over Boston. But the man we talked to last night said the vagare don't inhabit cities."

"Maybe your expert was mistaken." Will generally trusted who Magnus trusted, with very few exceptions. Despite his earlier suspicion, he didn't think Radovan would kidnap a colleague and a vampire and feed them to abnormals.

"No. This guy is at the top when dealing with the vagare." Henry argued. Kate agreed.

Will sighed and handed Henry the tablet. "Then we should ask Radovan. Can you pull up his file?"

After a few seconds, Henry had the file. Kate and Will read over his shoulder.

"Born in 1959 to immigrant parents."

"Magnus told me she met them at college."

Henry shook his head. "Meets all the trouble there. It says he went with Magnus to capture the alpha members, but failed when the abnormals killed their guide. Magnus wrote here there was some confusion on how exactly the guide died, because Radovan had the bait…"

Kate frowned. "Radovan should have died then. The sense of smell is their greatest strength."

Will looked at Kate and Henry.

"You really believe he did this?"

They nodded.

"Then let's go talk to him." Will glanced at his watch. Nearly two in the afternoon. According to Magnus, the anthropophagi were nocturnal.

* * *

Helen shivered. Neither of them had a watch, but by the way the temperature had fallen, she guessed it was now late evening.

They were cooped up in what appeared to be the entrance. Said entrance was twenty feet off the ground, and Nikola was in no condition to make such leaps.

The vampire sat next to her; his arms wrapped around himself as he tried not to…

Helen wasn't sure _what _he was trying not to do, but though the Source blood might not taste great, it _was _blood. His eyes were half shut.

She tried not to think about how close she had been to actually dying. Was confused, angry, terrified, how Ashley had felt as she had teleported to her death? How did Nikola feel starving to death, while a perfectly edible food source sat right next to him?

Nikola licked his lips and glanced quickly in her direction. A low hiss emerged from the tunnel to the left, and the half-vampire flinched.

The horrible sound filled her ears in a way not even Nikola's growls could. Helen couldn't even imagine how Nikola felt.

"Come here Nikola."

He pretended not to hear. Ignoring his half-understandable protest, Helen stood and walked over to him. She knelt and wrapped her arm around her shoulder.

In the days that followed, both of them would attribute what happened next to a mixture of starvation, hangovers, and genetics.

All it took was a touch to break his shield. Helen could almost shatter as he went limp, allowing her to pull his upper body onto hers.

His hands flexed as if they were trying not to morph into claws.

"I'm scared." It was the whisper of a child. A lost child.

Helen gently massaged his hair. "I know."

"I want to run." His eyes were wide open. Was he imagining a warm, bright place, far away from this nightmare?

Helen nodded silently. He could see her perfectly.

"When will they come?" she asked.

Nikola shuddered.

"They're almost two hours away. But they can smell us. They're coming." He rested his head against her shoulder, and she felt his cool breath on her neck.

"Then we have a little while. Will and Kate might even find us by then."

"False hope doesn't suit you, Helen."

She smiled.

"Helen, if this was a movie, I would be dead by now."

"Good thing this isn't a movie then."

"And then the hero, I'm thinking Doctor Expendable, will rush in, rescue both of us, and find a way to revive me. And then do you know what you do?"

Helen felt a blush growing.

"Honestly Nikola."

"You take me in your arms, like now, but not like you're carrying around a sack of rice. And then you kiss me like you've never kissed me before."

Helen patted his arm.

"Only you, Nikola."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Sanctuary! And never will, because it would be majorly Teslen…*sobs*

Notes: Unfortunately, this is the second-to-last chapter. Hope these two chapters tie up the last few loose ends. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me!

* * *

The first one came barely ten minutes later. Helen shot, her aim was true.

The anthropophagi went completely still, in midstride, as the bullet pierced his brain. It shuddered once after it collapsed onto the ground.

She checked her clip.

"Six more shots." Against twenty-nine more anthropophagi. Including the alpha male and female.

The hole on the other side had steadily grown over the past minutes to allow another creature inside their cavern. It grappled with Nikola, both vampire and anthropophagi growling and hissing respectively as they fought each other in a battle to survive. Eventually, the juvenile went limp, and Helen saw four black claws poking through the abnormal's torso.

Nikola pushed the creature off and offered Helen a halfhearted grin.

She shot again when she saw a headless body emerging. That one was huge. Possibly the alpha male.

When it collapsed in the hole, the ones on the other side broke out in howls. Helen noticed Nikola shudder as their animalistic screams tore through the stuffy tunnel air.

A dull thud and one of them had its arms around Nikola. It had come from the _other _hole in the opposite end of the cavern. Helen heard something, _multiple _somethings, snap. Nikola cried out, blood forming a faint stain on his dark shirt.

Then the creature _bit _him, the mouth in its stomach grabbed Nikola's upper back.

"The _eyes_ Nikola!" she called across the room. The anthropophagi gave a powerful shove, ripping Nikola away from her, and she saw his shoulder was ripped to shreds.

Now even _she _could smell his blood. It smelled sickening, but to the abnormals it called to them like moths to a flame. They _wanted _him more than anyone else ever had.

A shrill, piercing scream filled the air. Nikola was released, and Helen saw the abnormal clutching its eyes, blood weeping from them like a twisted version of someone mourning.

"Oh…Nikola…"he staggered, toppling onto the dead anthropophagi littering the ground.

"Just give it a few minutes." He said; voice tight with pain.

Helen spared a glance at the two openings. Strangely enough, the open hole had been deserted, while the body of the alpha male still blocked the second opening.

"Helen, how do you feel about surgery?"

The part-vampire rubbed his shoulder with one hand. Pushing his hand away, Helen could see muscle and bone reattaching itself, skin trying to cover the wound. But she could see several shining objects. _Teeth._

"Hold still Nikola." She plunged her hand into his back, ignoring his involuntary cry of pain. _One. Two Three. Four. _

Helen held four five-inch long teeth in the palm of her hand. They shared a smile.

Nikola, face flecked with blood, said, "Guess there is something to this instinct thing then."

* * *

"Where _is _she Radovan?" Kate said impatiently. Will and Henry had decided this was her field of expertise. Somehow, all the dirty work seemed to be hers. Including searching the entire motel and surrounding town since two-thirty. It was ten at night.

"I do not know. Perhaps she went to look for her f-"

"Don't play stupid. We both know her car's still here."

"Perhaps she walked."

Maria sat in front of the television, eyes unmoving. Will had disagreed with her idea to separate the two, saying it would traumatize the girl.

"You knew about the anthropophagi being loose." Kate bluffed.

"I did _not_." There. The flicker of his eyes, the slight whine in his tone. It was something Will would have noticed.

"Come on." She pulled the bound man to his feet. "We're going for a little walk. Because there aren't any more anthropophagi loose. They've all gone back into their caves. I'm guessing they were always there."

She pulled him toward the door and pulled it open. Salty air greeted them.

"Kate, I think this has moved into my field of expertise," Will said gently.

"Oh come on, Will! Just let my give it to him once!"

"_No."_

"Come on Kate," Henry coaxed. "Let the guy do his stuff. We'll go look for the boss. And hopefully find something for you to shoot."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Fine." The two departed, leaving Will with Radovan.

"No, please don't. The vampire – he has not bled enough yet, and-" he stopped, realizing he'd said one word too much.

"_Vampire? _Now we're getting somewhere. Where did you take Tesla?"

"Down…into the tunnels. Let me go, please. I do not wish to remain out here."

"And Magnus?"

"They are together."

"Why?"

The other man shuddered with every puff of wind, as if its freedom would carry his scent straight to an anthropophagi.

"So he will bite her. And she will shoot him and make him bleed."

"And the anthropophagi will follow."

"Yes. I told the doctor you were smar-"

Will shoved him out the door.

"You're going to show me where Magnus is." He hoped his angry tone disguised the fear.

Radovan shook, sweat shining on his face.

"Down the lane. Wooden doors that lead to the basement. The basement is an aboveground entrance to a tunnel."

"Good for you."

The trip there seemed to take years.

* * *

"Henry, this is pointless. We've been out here and – _woah_!" Kate shot, and a white figure crumpled nine meters ahead of them.

They rushed to examine the body. Anthropophagi.

"Nice shot."

"I try."

* * *

Will opened the doors. Musty air greeted them, as well as a gunshot and a familiar curse.

"Will? Henry? Is that you?" that voice. Relief washed through Will.

"Magnus!" he couldn't see anything down there. Behind him, Radovan tried to peek in. Will held him back, hoping he wouldn't topple into the tunnel. "Catch!" he tossed his gun.

"Nikola, get his gun. Will, where's Henry?"

"He went with Kate to try and find you aboveground. I have Radovan with me."

"Doctor Expendable, there's an anth-"

"_WILL!_"

Will instinctively reached for his gun. The gun he had just thrown to Magnus.

Radovan shrieked as Will saw a flash of silver, then a white fist poking through Radovan's gut.

The gnashing of teeth, Will could _hear _flesh being torn from bone.

A second, or perhaps a year later, Radovan was released, dead, into the hole.

Leaving Will to face eight-foot tall anthropophagi. Alone. He closed his eyes.

Mom, I'm ready. Clara, I hope you are too.

A shot rang out and Will wasn't ready anymore.

* * *

"Nikola _no!_"

He could hear it. It called to him, a current finer than anything electrical, it _shouted _to taste it.

_Blood. _Blood pooling out of the gut of Radovan. His bitten tongue lay beside him.

He growled. He needed to feed.

In a flash, he descended upon the corpse, devouring the blood of the traitor Radovan. His fangs slit the Serb's neck, relishing every move that released the blood. Nikola's claws tore open the stomach and organs spilled out, tumbling against each other in a strangely appetizing sound.

It coursed through his veins like adrenaline. It energized him in a way he had never been energized before. Nikola Tesla sighed, and leapt up, displaying his full vampiric attributes to an anthropophagi that was about to kill Helen…

Then its brain had been punctured and it fell, limp, to the dirt floor.

Helen looked at him in complete horror. Nikola realized what he must look like.

He must look exactly like what John had after he'd cut one of the prostitutes up.

It registered somewhere in his mind that the whole warren had fallen silent after that shot.

"Helen, I'm so sorry."

Her eyes were wide; she looked more terrified than when he had confessed his love for her.

Nikola looked down at his hands. They were covered with _his_ blood. As was his mouth, his clothes. His _hair. _Nikola had just drained the blood (and looked like he'd bathed in it) of a human.

"Helen? Talk to me."

She had retreated to a corner. Her heartbeat was audible to him. She was scared. More scared than before.

He stepped forward. She stepped back.

He stepped back. She did not step forward.

"Doctor Expendable? Tiny Tim?"

"What, Tesla?"

"I think we're going to need some garlic."

_Nikola. _Her dearest friend had just _eaten _someone. And now he was walking towards her, looking like some sick protégé of Jack the Ripper. Her heart pounded in her throat.

She wanted to make sure he was alright. He looked dazed; eyes unfocused and shifting. But he was dangerous.

"Helen, I'm so sorry." He stumbled over the words.

"Helen? Talk to me."

She moved slowly backwards. After a step, Nikola didn't try to follow.

"Doctor Expendable? Tiny Tim?"

"What, Tesla?"

"I think we're going to need some garlic."

Helen almost laughed at him.

"Magnus? You alright?"

"I'm fine Will! Just hurry up with the garlic!"

Nikola wiped his mouth on his shirtsleeve. Normally, a move like that would have surprised her, but she wasn't sure about Nikola right now.

"Helen, I won't bite you. I promise."

"I know. But you just…" she gestured lamely to the corpse of Radovan.

"I know, I broke it. I'm sorry." His eyes no longer looked unfocused. "But – I…I couldn't _help _it, Helen."

She nodded as he stepped forward. "I know."

Helen surveyed the wreckage of all the dead anthropophagi. They had done it.

They had just killed an entire species of abnormals.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **Despite my best efforts, Sanctuary is not mine, and will never be.

Notes: Last chapter.

* * *

The sanctuary seemed doubly quiet since they'd last left. Big Guy greeted them gruffly, as usual. Helen wandered to her office, Nikola trailing behind her. Kate, Will and Henry went their separate ways to finish the paperwork that had been neglected during their mission.

Helen knew some part of her mind remarked loudly how brightly the sun shone through the windows. She had nearly died in darkness. But now the sun greeted her with warmth.

"Nice day." Nikola remarked. "Perfect for a glass of wine outside."

"Not now Nikola." Helen fought to keep a smile off her face.

His smirk widened. "Come on Helen. Life and death situations don't constitute a little time off?"

She shook her head. "_No. _After all, I have to make a full report on the extinction of the abnormals. And Radovan."

Nikola muttered something under his breath as she said the name.

She playfully swatted him with a stack of forms. "Language." He rolled his eyes.

Helen took her seat and began filling out an official report.

"Wine cellar hasn't moved." She said after a few minutes.

She stiffened for a second as his hand touched her wrist. How was he able to move so quietly?

"Care to join me?"

-and it is finished! Sorry for the short ending though…sequel should be up sometime…later. Warning: way more blood/death/gore than this!


End file.
